Silent Bob Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Would you believe that Get Smart is the best movie I've ever seen? No? Would you believe the best movie I've seen all summer? No. How about a surprisingly entertaining film that managed to successfully resurrect my favorite tv show of all time? Half of the reviews that I've read hated the new film version of Get Smart and the other half loved it. Which half is the correct half will probably depend on your own personal tastes. I loved it. I thought that Steve Carell was the perfect Maxwell Smart. He doesn't try to do a Don Adams impersonation and his character is tailored to him to be (only) slightly more intelligent and capable (this time when he asks how he's supposed to get the enemy to swallow his cyanide capsule, he's making a joke) but it's still recognizably the same Agent 86. The rest of the cast is superb as well, from Alan Arkin's beleaguered Chief, to the effortlessly self-confident Dwayne Johnson (finally dropping that other moniker for good) as Agent 23, to the icy and cool Terrence Stamp as the villainous Siegfried. And don't get me started on Anne Hathaway - damn! It should be a crime to be that talented and look that good at the same time. It's obvious that the writers and the director were fans of the show. The movie is littered with in-jokes and references, but it's all done in a very smart (see what I did there?) and respectful way. Most of the show's famous catchphrases make an appearance and they're written well enough (and performed perfectly by Carell) that they're still funny everytime, and when Max finally pulls out that shoe phone, he has a good reason...at least in his mind. Though a few of the jokes fall flat (Segal seems to think fat people are inherently funny, and a tired two-guys-caught-in-a-position-that-looks-like-something-else joke is cringe-worthy) most of it is spot on and the film dishes out equal parts comedy and surprisingly well-done action sequences. While the show was a spoof on the idea of James Bond with the constraints of a half hour format, the film manages to almost be a funny Bond movie. Though some critics disagree, I thought it worked surprisingly well. The only thing I could have asked for was more of Agent 13 - when you see it, you'll agree. Other than that, I'll be first in line for the sequel...and...loving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Would you believe that Get Smart is the best movie I've ever seen? No? Would you believe the best movie I've seen all summer? No. How about a surprisingly entertaining film that managed to successfully resurrect my favorite tv show of all time? I suspect I will like this movie, but I would be very surprised if I liked it better than Speed Racer. Are you saying this (it being your favorite movie of the summer) having seen Speed Racer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozie Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Thumbs up for me. Good solid comedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silent Bob Posted June 21, 2008 Author Share Posted June 21, 2008 The idea of the "would you believe" joke is that the first two are preposterous claims, while the third is more down-to-earth and possible. It's not my favorite movie of the summer - Iron Man still holds that title - but no I haven't seen Speed Racer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycaon Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I plan on seeing it, but I hear its not doing so well at the theater, so far (it is still early, though). Is the old theme music in the movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silent Bob Posted June 21, 2008 Author Share Posted June 21, 2008 Absolutely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycaon Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Absolutely Excellent... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I plan on seeing it, but I hear its not doing so well at the theater, so far (it is still early, though). Yeah, it's Saturday morning. Early estimates for the weekend don't get released until mid-Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycaon Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Yeah, it's Saturday morning. Early estimates for the weekend don't get released until mid-Sunday. True, and what I was hearing was from one theater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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